Body found in the hunt for teen who vanished after going for swim off popular Dutch beach
28 August 2024, 08:17
A body has been found in the search for a missing 19-year-old Brit who vanished after going for a swim off a popular Dutch beach.
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The teenager disappeared after getting into trouble in choppy waters off Zuidelijk Havenhoofd in the Netherlands at around 8:30 pm on Sunday, August 25.
Three people in the group were rescued by authorities after "coming to the aid of their friend," local media reported.
The pair were picked up "covered in blood" after getting into trouble near a rocky pier, as they attempted to rescue their friend from the North Sea.
The missing Brit was part of a group of four from the UK who had travelled to The Hague over the bank holiday weekend.
Although investigations are ongoing, authorities now believe the body discovered last night is likely to be that of the missing British teenager.
The missing teen is said to have got into trouble moments after entering the North Sea, with Dutch authorities conducting an extensive search of the area.
Police told Dutch broadcaster Omroep West on Monday that the three who were rescued were all from the United Kingdom and "about the same age".
A local eye-witness added that there was an older woman, who was apparently the mother of one of the kids, who was "panicking and screaming".
One eye-witness told local media that the friends who went to her aid "barely survived" after entering the choppy waters.
The scene is believed to be even more perilous given its proximity to a rocky pier.
"They both had legs covered in blood. There was also a mother there who was panicking and screaming," reported Omroep.
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"Despite their best efforts, the young men could not get close enough to save the woman," they said.
“The water was so wild, really impassable. Those boys barely survived.”
However, authorities searching for the 19-year-old have said they are not holding out hope of a positive outcome, adding d that this is no longer a rescue operation.
The search operation, which involved a boat and helicopter, was downgraded to a reduced shoreline search on Monday, according to Dutch media.
